Oral Answers to Questions

James Davies Excerpts

Thursday 29th April 2021 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to prepare for the safe reopening of international travel as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the safe operation of international travel as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps)]

The global travel taskforce report clearly sets out how, when the time is right, we will be able to restart international travel, without putting our hard-won progress against the virus at risk. We will confirm by early May whether non-essential international travel can resume from 17 May.

[Dr Davies [V]]

Comprehensive covid testing will be critical for the safe reopening of wider international travel. We already know that countries with very low rates of covid infection will be placed on a green list. Will my right hon. Friend confirm whether there are plans to allow individuals travelling from those countries at least to meet baseline testing requirements using lateral flow devices rather than the costly Polymerase chain reaction tests?

[Grant Shapps]

I know my hon. Friend will agree that it is very important to ensure that, whatever we do, we keep the British people safe. It is a question very much for the scientists to let us know whether PCR or lateral flow tests would be the appropriate test for a day, too. However, it is the case that I am very anxious to get the cost of those tests down. I can bring some good news to the House: there are now test providers providing tests for £60 and, indeed, one now for £44.90.